Outside The Box
by Spastic Spastic
Summary: Cameron thought the last place she would start to understand Chase's like for her was in a broken down elevator. Should she give him a chance, even if it's a maybe? ChaseCameron.


**Title: Outside The Box**

**Summary: Cameron thought the last place she would start to understand Chase's like for her was in a broken down elevator. Should she give him a chance, even if it's a maybe? ChaseCameron.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own House.**

IIIII

_To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead - Bertrand Russell_

IIIII

"It's Tuesday. I like you."

_Great. Here we go again._

"Thanks for telling me," Cameron said not wanting to carry the conversation any further. She had taught herself not to react anymore to Chase's 'Tuesday' shtick and, hopefully, that would get him to stop.

Then again there was the maddening itch to understand why he liked her so much! Who had ever heard of a guy, whom was also your co-worker, has a ritual on every Tuesday of which he would tell you that he liked you? How old was he, twelve? Cameron almost wanted to sigh in frustration but she sighed in anger for another reason.

The elevator came to a slow stop . . . between floors.

_You _have_ to be kidding me._

She wracked her mind for any possibility as to why someone wants to punish her so much. Cameron almost wished someone would pop in and say, "April fools!" but she knew very well that it was not April 1st.

So Cameron's stuck on an elevator, with someone who would nag her every Tuesday, and in fact it was a Tuesday that the damn thing had to break!

Despite it being horrible enough that their patient had a limited amount of time, now she could see the grin that was on Chase's face, which he quickly hid behind a poker face once he caught her glancing at him.

There was a long moment of silence where neither one were quite sure what to do or say. Complain about the elevator? They could do that in their heads well enough. Just talk? Cameron knew that it was a lost effort because she would bring it around to question the Tuesday thing. That familiar urge to ask him was clawing at the back of her mind like it did every time Chase said it. And the thing was that he would refuse to answer her questions about his feelings. How irritating it was to have all the questions but none of the answers. She knew she should feel used to it since her job is mostly questions but she expected her personal life to be different. Atleast, she _wanted_ it to be.

Cameron was naturally curious as to why Chase liked her. She had emotional baggage, and could be quite nosy when she wanted to be, not to mention that she was an Atheist. Wouldn't he want a Christian woman? Someone who would voluntarily go to church and pray with him? Then again, when you really adored someone, religion wasn't high on the priority list not to date said person. But was Chase that Christian after all? He had his lapses . . .

Cameron shook her head. Why did that one "It's Tuesday, I like you" sentence always send her head spiraling?

_That's what it's intended for_, she told herself. _Guessing is what he wants you to do until you finally break down and accept his offer for a date._

But would a date with Chase really be that bad?

Cameron wanted to ask but she knew he would only deflect and dodge. Maybe she could take another route to finally get some clarification.

"Why don't you ever answer any of my questions about this Tuesday thing?" Cameron finally asked, her inquisitiveness winning.

Chase shrugged. "And why don't you ever want to go out with me? These things boggle us both."

The immunologist could feel the frustration rising. "Are you intentionally maddening or does it come naturally?"

"I'm not trying to irritate you," Chase answered simply. "I would think me saying it every day would be more irritating. Do you want me to do it every day? I don't know if you like aggressiveness or not."

"I would prefer if you'd stop beating around the bush and give me straight answers," Cameron huffed. She looked up at the numbers, hoping they would change, but they couldn't feel the elevator budging.

She hadn't expected the Aussie to have finally said, "What would you like to know?"

Taking his opportunity while he was willing she jumped right into it. "Why you keep pursuing me after I've rejected you, I don't know, more than twenty times?"

"Easy. I really think you'd make a great partner. I've seen you with other people and you're so kind and gentle, even when our patients aren't as nice as they could be."

"That's it? Because I'm kind?" Cameron echoed.

"Of course it's more complicated than that."

Cameron waited for him to move forward from that sentence, but the blonde seemed content in standing there, staring up at the numbers while waiting for help to finally get the damn thing moving.

"You know, if we run out of air and I don't atleast get something more than that out of you, I'm dragging you into limbo with me."

"Why would you be in limbo?"

_Again with the deflecting thing._

"Because if I am wrong, and there is a God, I'm not going to go to heaven. And if he's as nice as you say I'm sure won't send me to hell for not believing."

"Actually I think you can go to hell for not believing," Chase corrected.

"Can we get back to my original question? I don't understand why you're after me. If I'm not interested you can move on! There's thousands of girls better than me out there."

"That's where you're wrong," Chase said mildly. "I have yet to find someone better."

"Oh . . . um . . . I . . ." Cameron was stammering, trying to find the correct way to respond to that. In fact there was no way to respond to that so she remained quiet, trying to piece a sentence together.

"You wanted to know," Chase told her frankly. "Now that you've gotten more out of me has it changed your mind?"

"But why don't you see someone out there other than me? I don't understand," admitted Cameron, confusion etched in her tone.

"Now you're dodging _my_ questions. It's a two way street, Cameron."

Cameron considered his question for a moment. Changed her mind? Hardly. He had only succeeded in creating more questions that would only get more confusing answers, which in turn would create . . . it was a cycle that came nowhere close to an absolute end. Cameron wondered if she should accept his offer for a date, and get some answers then, but that wouldn't be fair to Chase. It would be dating him under false pretenses. He wouldn't be winning her, he'd only be satisfying her curiosity, which could vanish when the questions became answered and she would be on her way.

It clicked.

"You don't want to answer my questions because, if you do, then I won't be around to pester you about it," Cameron blurted out her theory, taking Chase by surprise.

Chase brushed it off quickly. "You're thinking too much."

"But I'm right, aren't I?" She shot back with a smirk. "If I left you alone then you wouldn't have much to chase after. But if I keep coming back with questions that will always be unanswered you have my attention."

"Oh really?" Chase smiled, obviously amused by her effort to tack everything together.

"What if I stopped doing that? What if I didn't want to discuss it further?"

"I don't think that would happen."

Challenged, Cameron asked, "And why not?"

The look on the man's face was smug as he answered. "Because I know you like me. You don't want to admit it."

Somewhat shocked, but mostly confused, she shook her head. "What gave you that idea?"

"You enjoy me running after you too much to give in. You like it when I bug you because you _do_ like me. I think you're still too . . . emotionally fragile after your husband to start a new relationship."

"I am not," She snapped, angered at the mention of her deceased spouse. "I was going to date House but-"

"You weren't interested in him. You wanted to fix him," Chase corrected. "Maybe you don't want to date me because there isn't much to fix."

"Look, I enjoy helping people, but that doesn't mean I want to fix everyone."

"I think you do and that's why you're so depressed sometimes. You really did come into the wrong field, you know, because people do die-"

"You think I don't know that?" Cameron said in a raised voice. It wasn't shouting but it did get Chase to snap his mouth shut. "I came here to help people and when they die, yes, I am upset. _Of course _I am upset. When someone dies I think someone should cry, even if they didn't know the person, for the loss of another human life. For what they could have been . . . If that makes me 'emotionally fragile' then go ahead and call me that. I don't care."

Chase smiled. "And that's why I like you."

Cameron blinked at him. "Come again?"

"Oh, nothing." The Aussie smiled widely.

"You know, it's odd that the only time we got to talk about this is when we're stuck in an elevator," Cameron mused aloud. Her eyes flickered between the man and the numbers that had yet to move.

"You refuse to go out for a drink with me-"

"And you refuse to answer any of my questions at work," Cameron shot back.

"Maybe the elevator thing was a set up."

Suspicion sparked. "You wouldn't-"

"Riiight. I'm such a master mechanic, and I'm so obsessed, that I would stop the much needed elevator itself just to get some alone time," drawled Chase sarcastically.

Cameron slumped a little. "No need to get sarcastic."

"No need to jump to conclusions."

"You're impossible," she muttered under her breath.

Chase smirked down at her. "Atleast I make the conversation interesting."

"Do you think they'll get it fixed anytime soon? It's been over ten minutes . . ." Cameron said, changing the subject quickly. She absentmindedly flipped through the files she had, not paying attention to any particular paper, and let out a long sigh.

With curiosity Chase asked, "Something wrong?"

"No. I'm just thinking too much."

_You're starting to change my mind. Stop being so damn nice and cute._

Cameron tried to do anything but stare into his eyes. They were almost hypnotizing, so soft, and welcoming. Not to mention the pants he wore were tight enough in the back to make out a very attractive behind--

_Don't stare at his butt! It's not considered acceptable. He's my co-worker and I'm at work and I'm ought to be professional . . . _She chided herself.

A more aggressive side of herself chimed in with, _A very _hot _co-worker. And I should be able to stare at him all I want! There's no one around to see me. And it's not as though we've never had sex before. And I did like it. A lot._

_But I can't string him along like this,_ she continued. _I have to decide something or he will get hurt._

_Doesn't the fact that I don't want him to get hurt show that I care for him more than I should if this is just 'uncomplicated sex'?_

_He's going to drive me right to the psych ward_, Cameron thought to herself.

"You know . . . " Cameron said with an uncomfortable cough. "We could do something while we wait . . ."

Chase raised an eyebrow at the sudden suggestion. The Aussie's smile widened. "Really, now?"

"If you want to, that is." A seductive smile played upon her lips that were so eager to meet with his.

"There isn't a time that I don't want to _but_-" Cameron could feel her heart drop "-I don't want to ruin this with actions. We're having a conversation, Cameron. It's . . . better, don't you think?"

The woman stared at him with blatant confusion. Did a man just deny making out in favor of conversation? Did Chase say no so she could talk to him instead of moaning his name in the heat of the moment? What kind of guy was he?

_Romantic_, she told herself. _Real._

Cameron felt her face begin to warm with a blush.

"Yeah," she admitted. "Too bad it's in a broken-down elevator that we finally get to talk in."

After a brief silence, Chase asked with hesitance, "Have you changed your mind?"

"I . . ."

_Look at anything but him. Anything. A speck of dust. Maybe a bug. Count numbers. Just don't--_

"Cameron, it's Tuesday," He said leaning forward towards her. "I like you."

He was not sure whether she would stay in place but as his face came centimeters away from hers, and her body did not make a move, he laid a soft kiss on her lips. Chase did not kiss her as though he were hungry for something in a sexual sense because, this time, there was a connection of emotions -- he knew it -- and all he wanted was for Cameron to realize it too.

Cameron would have leaned into it, wanting more, but she felt his hand dig into her coat pocket and she jumped back into surprise. She saw the blonde flip open her cellphone and start to click into something.

"What are you doing?" She demanded to know.

"You'll see," was all he said.

There was a budge down, quick, and Cameron gripped the handles to steady her from the surprise.

"Finally!" Chase said loudly. He continued doing whatever he was with Cameron's phone and she let him. She wondered if he was texting someone of the unfortunate circumstances of being stuck in the elevator and that was why they were late.

Chase handed it back to her. "Done."

The doors swung open and they were back onto the diagnostic's floor.

"Back to work we go," muttered Chase with a grumpy tone.

Cameron walked beside him with her phone still in her hand. "Did you send a text to House or something?"

"Nope."

"Then what-"

"Surf your phone. I think you'll find it."

"Did you-"

Cameron became cut off once again when House opened his door and said loudly, most likely to embarrass them, "You two better not have stalled that elevator just so you could have sex! That's what the janitors closet during lunch is for, if didn't you get the memo."

Ignoring him to the best of their abilities they walked into the conference room to start their diagnostics once again to solve their current case.

IIIII

Cameron crashed into her bed, the tired body splaying out, and she let out a long sigh. It was hard coming to a cold, empty apartment every day. She had always thought by this point in her life she would have atleast had a live-in boyfriend or have some options as to who she wanted to date.

Her phone started to ring and she pulled it out of her bag. It was a number she recognized as a telemarketer and hung up on them. Cameron was about to put it away when she remembered what Chase had done. She already had an idea as to what he had done and went to her painfully short list of numbers. Just as she had thought there was a new one added put as '_Ifyouchangeyourmind._'

Cameron hit call and waited until a male voice on the other end of the line said, "Hello?"

"Chase?"

"Yeah. Hey, is this-"

"I think I changed my mind."

"Really?" Chase sounded astounded.

"I'm . . . willing to give it a try. One date and we'll see how it goes from there."

"One date is better than none, I suppose. I hope you kiss on the first date seeing as though it could be our last." He laughed. He full well knew if Cameron refused another date they would still have casual sex. Although this wasn't what he wanted he would gladly take what he would get.

Her next words surprised him. "Let's not waste it with that. I'd rather talk to you."

"Cameron?"

"Yes?"

"What exactly made you change your mind?"

Cameron was silent, thinking, _I don't know. What's different now than back then?_

"Nothing really," Cameron answered. "I guess I'm going to give it a chance. I'm tired of searching when maybe . . . I've ignored something good that's been in front of me all along."

"Good choice. Tomorrow, whenever we get out of work, let's go to Tenamin's Grill?"

"Sounds good. See you tomorrow." Cameron hung up with a smile.

She climbed out of bed and retrieved the wedding photo of her late husband from her dresser. She looked down at him wondering what he would have thought of Chase. Cameron wasn't even sure what she thought of Chase, so she could sure use a second opinion.

Cameron looked at her vacant bedroom with a sad gaze.

_It's time to step out of this lonely box that has become a trap_, Cameron decided. _And Chase is a great place to start._

IIIII

**A/N: I wrote this in March and kept it in my Recycle Bin for a long while. I think it's good enough to post. I haven't written anything in a while and I'm hoping to get back in the game.**


End file.
